Method of and apparatus for making a variegated ice cream or similar substance



June 2, W426 ,s. P. ,suNnLAci-i ETAL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ICE CREAM OR SIMILA MAKING A VARIE ATE R SUBSTANCE Filed April 10, 1940 fzqi. nzssum: Q5 CONTROL VALVE ELECTRIC OPERATED PRESSURE SWITCH AIR FILTER FLAYORI G STORAGE TANK BASIC STORAGE TANK STORM! TA NK am How c0 RISM INVENTORS George Byron BY Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A VARIEGATED ICE CREAM R SIMILAR SUBSTANCE George P. Gundlach, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Byron Morris, Tuscaloosa, Ala, assignors to Joe Lowe Corporation, New York Delaware N. Y., a corporation of Application April 10, 1940, Serial No. 328,826

Claims.

The present invention relates generally to a method of and apparatus for making a composite frozen edible product, and it has particular relation to the'manufacture of bulk substances,

such as sherbet, ice milk, ice cream, frozen custard or like substances, which have variegations of a flavoring material of a contrasting color dispersed therein and therethrough.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new, simple and inexpensive method or process for manufacturing a basic bulk sherbet,

ice milk, ice cream, frozen custard or similar substance, having a flavoring material of a contrasting color dispersed therein and therethrough to produce a composite frozen edible variegated serting under pressure continuous spaced strips of a contrasting flavoring consistency into a bulk edible substance of semi-fluid material moving under pressure in the form of a stream.

Another object of the invention is to provide new, simple and inexpensive apparatus suitable for introducing a plurality of spaced strips of a contrasting edible flavoring material into a continuously moving stream of a plastic substance, such as sherbet, ice milk, ice cream, frozen custard or like substances.

Another obi ect of the invention is the provision of a new, simple and inexpensive nozzle for injecting a plurality of streams of a contrasting liquid flavoring material into a moving stream of an edible basic substance, and then extruding the combined substances simultaneously under A further object or the invention is to provide new, simple, inexpensive and sanitary apparatus for extruding two substances in a variegated .relation from separate sources through a common extruding nozzle by means of a single source of pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, eificient and sanitary method of disper-sing the composite substances in such a mannot that'the spaced strips of contrasting edible flavoring material will be broken up and dispersed throughout the basic edible substance to produce a variegated frozen edible product.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the detailed description of the method employed and apparatus used,

which result in simplicity, economy and efiiciency,

and which will be apparent from the following description, wherein several preferred forms of embodiment of the invention are diagrammatically shown, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals indicate like parts, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view; partly in section, of apparatus suitable for practicing our invention;

- 1,, Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the extrusion head shown in Fig. 1/; v

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the extrusion head shown in Fig. 2, the same being taken substantially along the line 33 thereof, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the extrusion head shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the manner of extruding the composite edible substances therefrom in a horizontal plane into a receptacle to be filled;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the composite extrusion shown in Fig. 4, the same being taken substantially along the line 5-5 thereof;

and

, Fig; 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the filling apparatus shown in Fig. 1, illustratin the manner of filling a container vertically and showing the means for revolving the same during filling to break up the continuity of the flavoring material to prevent separation in said containers before the contents can be frozen to a form-retaining state.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like numerals indicate like parts, there is shown in Fig. l a diagrammaticview of the apparatus employed in carrying out our method for making variegated ice cream and similar substances. In the diagrammatic view of Fig. 1 there isshown an electric motor I! connected to a source of-power (not shown) for driving a conventional air compressor H, which, in turn, is connected by means of an air line It to a conventional oil separator II for j tank 22, having as'tandard pressure gauge 24 mounted thereon to provide means for determining the amount of air pressure therein.

The pressure operating mechanism, consisting of the motor I2, air compressor I4 and oil separator I8, are automatically controlled through a conventional combination electric pressure switch 26. The pressure switch 26 is suitably connected to the pressure operating mechanism by means of an air line 28 extending from the oil separator I8 to the air pressure side of the switch 26. The electric side of the pressure switch 26 is suitably connected by wires 30 to the electric motor I2. In this arrangement, which is conventional and comprises no part of our invention except as an air pressure supplying system, the switch 26 causes the motor I2 to operate whenever the air pressure in the oil separator I8, which is identical to the air pressure in the storage tank 22 because of the open air line connection 20 therebetween falls below that pressure at which the switch 26 has been set to operate. In this manner, a constant pressure is maintained in the storage tank 22 for extruding purposes.

An air line 36, containing a pressure control valve 38 of conventional construction, a hand shut-off valve 40 and an air filter 42, connects with a plurality of storage tanks 44 and 46, through suitable. intake lines 48 and 50, containing suitable hand shut-off valves 52 and 54. The tanks 44 and 46 are respectively provided with pressure gauges 56 and for determining the exact amount of pressure in said tanks. Since the tanks 44 and 45 are suitably connected to a common source of airpressure means, it will be apparent that the pressure therein for ejecting the contents therefrom will serted in the storage tank 44 through a pipe line or trap door (not shown) when there is no air pressure in the tank, or when the pressureis cut on through the hand operated valve 52.

The storage tank 48 may be utilized for receiving an immiscible flavoring material, such as a chocolate fudge or other flavoring material, in the same manner as the basic substance is placed in the storage tank 44, while the pressure is cutoff through its respective hand operated valve 54. Leading from the bottom of the storage tank 44, containing the basic substance to the extrudclosing off this line and its continuous freezer a 10 when a batch freezer operation is desired, and the line 62 from the storage. tank 44 is adapted to be used to supply the basic substance to the head 60.

Immediately below the extruding end of the extrusion head 60, we propose to provide a suitable platform 80, for receiving a container 82 such as any size conventional ice cream can, for receiving the composite product to be extruded from the head 60. The platform 80 is suitably mounted on a shaft 64 which, in turn, is mounted in bearing member 65 connected through a series of bevel gears 88 and 00 to a drive shaft 02 connected in any suitable manner to a source of driving power (not shown). We have found that it is essential to keep the container 82 revolving slowly to properly distribute the composite ex-' truded substances in the coniainer 82 and to break up the continuity of the flavoring material to prevent separation due to its increased density over the semi-frozen over-run or agi-.

tated basic substance. If the conainer is not ,kept moving slowly during the filling operation,

the flavoring substance will all settle to the bottom of the can 82 before the contents thereof can be hardened into a form-reiaining state under refrigerating conditions.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the extrusion head consists of an elongated hollow tubular member IOI having a relatively large lateral opening I03 adjacent its receiving end for receiving under pressure a basic edible substance, such as, for example, semi-frozen or semi-plastic ice cream or similar substance in the condition in which it leaves a conventional freezer. As shown in Fig.1, the opening I03 of the extrusion head 60 may be connected either to a slorage pressure tank 44 through a pipe line 62. in the event a batch freezer is employed to whip the basic substance, or it may be connected by means of a pipe line I2 directly to the outlet of a continuous freezer 10 if that type operation is employed to make the-basic substances. A delivery pipe I02 may be connected by a suitable coupling I04 to the discharging end of the member I 0| to deliver the composite product to the container 821if a vertical delivery is desired.

The extrusion head 60 is provided also with a relatively small internally threaded axial opening I05, as compared to the relatively large lateral opening I03, adjacent its receivin end for axially receiving concentrically therein an elongated injection nozzle I0I having a discharging chamber I09 provided with a closed forward end III adapted to extend for a substantial distance within the member IOI of the extrusion head 60.

ing head 60, is a relatively large pipe line 62,

which is provided with a manually operable cutoff valve 64 mounted adjacent the end thereof which is connected to said extruding head 60. A relatively-small pipe 66 leads from the bottom of .the storage tank 46, containing the immiscible syrup or flavoring material, to the extruding. head 60. This pipe line 60 is'also pro- .vided with a manually operable cut-off valve 68 adjacent the end thereof connected to said extruding head.

The apparatus is so designed that the storage tank 44 may be cut-off entirely from the system by means of the valves 52 and 64, and the extruding head 60 connected directly to a conventional continuous freezer I0 through a pipe line I2, containing a manually operable valve 74 for The receiving end 3 of the injection nozzle I0! is adapted to be threaded into the opening I05 and connected to the pipe line 66 through suitable pipe connections II5 leading to the flavoring storage tank 46. Y I

The discharging chamber I09 of the injection nozzle I01, is provided intermediate its closed end III and its receiving end II3, with a plurality of injecting tubes III which are adapted to be spaced circumferentially and longitudinally thereover. The injecting tubes II I are in open communication with the discharging chamber I09 through suitable openings H9. The spacing of the injecting tubes II"I provides that the several streams of fiavoringmaterial I2I being forced therefrom under pressure from the tank 46 will be spaced throughout the basic substance I23, as best shown in Fig. 4. By decreasing or increasing the number of injecting tubes III, the amount and number of strips of flavoring material |2I introduced in the basic substance I23 will be determined.

We believe the operation of the apparatus to cause extrusion of the composite flavoring material HI and the basic substance I23 with the contrasting flavoring material I2I distributed therethrough in the form of spaced continuous strips or ribbons will be readily understood from the foregoing description so that a repetition of the operation of the entire apparatus need not be herein again set forth. We have found it essential, however, to break up the continuous composite extrusion I25 immediately upon its discharge from the extruding head 60 to prevent actual separation of the flavoring material Hi from the basic substance I23 when it is being deposited in the containers 82. This is necessary,

because the basic substance I23, being a whipped or agitated product incorporating substantially anJ qual volume of air, has a density approximately one-half the density of theflavoring material I2 I, which is not whipped or agitated, and, if the composite product is not broken up immediately, the flavoring material I2I has a tendency to separate out by flowing to the bottom of the container 82. The flavoring material I2I being so dense that any head of material will tend .to follow down the continuous path of the strip or ribbon formation to the bottom of the container 82, and to prevent such separation the composite extrusion I25 must be broken up into relatively short lengths, whereby the basic substance I23 will be sufllciently strong to support the flavoring material in the composite mass. and there will be no continuous path or head formation of flavoring material to permit ready separation. a I We have found that if we discharge the com posite extrusion I25 horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4, it breaks off due to its own weight and gravitational force into relatively short portions, like a sausage, which when deposited into a container 32, will prevent separation of the flavoring material I2I from the basic substance I23. This manner of fllling relatively large containers 82 also causes unique distributions of the flavoring material I2I in the basic substance I23, thereby greatly enhancing the appearance of the final product. 7

If vertical filling of the containers 32 is practiced, as shown in Fig. 6, the continuous extrusion I25 may be broken upby merely revolving the container @2. This operation likewise causes increased distribution of the flavoring material III in the basic substance I23, and greatly enhances the appearance of the final product.

Although we have only described in detail sev-, eral modifications which our invention may assame, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in. the art that the same is not so limited, but

that various other modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

Whatweclaimis: '1'

' 1. A method of making a bulk composite ed- 'ible' product which comprises bringing a basic edible semi-fluid substance and a contrasting by means of a common source of pressure, extruding said substances together as a unitary product whereby the flavoring material is distributed throughout the basic substance in a plurality of spaced ribbons or strips, and then breaking up said combined semi-fluid substances into relatively short sections which are discharged or folded over one another to prevent separation from one another in the final product.

2. A method of making a bulk composite frozen edible product which comprises bringing a basic edible semi-fluid substance and a contrasting immiscible semi-fluid flavoring material together under pressure, extruding said combined semifluid substances horizontally in a single stream from a common extrusion head with the flavoring material distributed in a plurality of spaced continuous strips in said basic semi-fluid substances, breaking said composite semi-fluid substances into small sections, then discharging said sections one on top of the other to cause nonuniform distribution of the flavoring material and to prevent separation of the same from the basic substance, and freezing the same into a form-retaining state.

3. A method of making a bulk composite frozen edible product which comprises bringing a basic edible semi-fluid substance and a contrasting immiscible semi-fluid flavoring material together under pressure, extruding said substances vertically in a single stream with the flavoring material distributed in a plurality of spaced continuous strips in said basic substance, breaking said stream of combined semi-fluid substances by folding portions over one another to cause non-uniform distribution of the flavoring material and to prevent separation of the same from the basic substance, and freezing the same into a form-retaining'state.

4. Apparatus for making a variegated composite edible frozen product consisting of means for delivering a contrasting flavoring material to an extrusion head through which is passing under pressure a stream of semi-plastic basic substance, said extrusion head containing an injection nozzle for delivering a plurality of spaced streams of flavoring material to said basic substance, and means for breaking up said continuous composite stream by causing short portions thereof to be folded over as it is placed into containers to prevent separation of the flavoring I material from the basic substance.

immiscible semi-fluid flavoring material together 5. Apparatus for making a variegated composite edible frozen product consisting of single Y pressure means for delivering a contrasting flavoring material to an extrusion head through which is passing a streamof semi-plastic basic substance, said extrusion head containing an in- Jection nozzle for delivering a plurality of spaced streams of flavoring material to said basic substance, and revolving means for causing said continuous stream of semi-fluid substances to be folded over upon-w itself as it is placed into containers to break up the continuous streams of flavoring material to prevent separation thereof- GEORGE P. GUNDLACH. BYRON MORRIS. 

